Haney sentenced to 5 years for shooting in Dickinson
Dec. 21—DICKINSON — The courtroom was hushed as Southwest Judicial District Judge William Herauf read the sentence for the defendant, Demetris Shaquille Haney, 28. Haney was sentenced to five years in prison, with a minimum of two years to be served. He will receive credit for the approximately one year of time served since his arrest for his involvement in a shooting that took place near the Paragon Bowling Alley in Dickinson on New Year's Day 2022.
Haney was arrested without any issues following the News Years Day shooting incident and was charged with reckless endangerment, terrorizing and two counts of aggravated assault. In the case, the prosecution presented strong evidence against Haney which ultimately led to a guilty verdict in
August
in a jury trial.
On Dec. 12, the gravity of the situation was palpable to all present as Haney was led away in handcuffs to serve the rest of his sentence at the North Dakota State Penitentiary — a maximum-security facility that houses adult male offenders who have been convicted of felonies and are serving sentences of more than one year.
Stark County State's Attorney Amanda Engelstadt prosecuted the case.
"The state argued, ultimately for a sentence of 10 years, which I felt was appropriate. The judge...has to listen to both sides and weigh the arguments," Engelstadt said. "Ultimately, he thought that the five year imprisonment, ten with five suspended...was the more appropriate sentence based on the evidence that he had."
Because Haney used a firearm in the commission of the convicted crimes he is classified as a dangerous special offender, which is why the two year minimum was imposed.
In North Dakota, reckless endangerment is defined as a person intentionally or recklessly engaging in conduct that creates a substantial risk of serious bodily injury or death to another person. This can include, but is not limited to, the use of a deadly weapon or the operation of a vehicle in a reckless manner. Reckless endangerment is generally a Class C felony, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a fine of up to $5,000.
Terrorizing is defined as a person intentionally causing another person to be in reasonable fear of serious bodily injury or death by threatening to commit a crime of violence. This can include, but is not limited to, threatening to use a deadly weapon or threatening to commit a crime of violence with the intent to terrorize. Terrorizing is generally a Class C felony, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a fine of up to $5,000.
Aggravated assault is defined as a person intentionally or recklessly causing serious bodily injury to another person, or intentionally causing bodily injury to another person with a deadly weapon. Aggravated assault is generally a Class C felony, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a fine of up to $5,000. If the victim of the assault is a law enforcement officer, the charge may be elevated to a Class B felony, which carries a maximum sentence of ten years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.
Haney's involvement in the shootout caused widespread fear and chaos at the bowling alley in an incident police say was concerning but fortunate in that there were no injuries or fatalities — one local business did suffer damage as a result of the bullets fired in the incident.
Jamal Brown, an alleged culprit in the crime, has fled the jurisdiction and remains a fugitive from justice. Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Brown, who is considered potentially armed and dangerous, should call the Dickinson Police Department at 701-456-7754, or leave a Badlands Crime Stoppers tip at dickinsonpd.com/crimestoppers. All tips may remain anonymous.
